


Complications and Charity Events

by writingfromdarkplaces



Series: Love's Illusions [2]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fake/Pretend Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-11-11
Packaged: 2018-08-30 07:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8524831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingfromdarkplaces/pseuds/writingfromdarkplaces
Summary: Ellie has to fulfill her part of her bargain with Jake, going to that charity event. After all, he did get her the dress.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I decided I got to do a bit of a fun piece as a reward for finishing a difficult one, and I had wanted to do this part as soon as I wrote Secrets and Safety Nets, so I wrote this. I expected it to be shorter, but I included the dress and that made it get long. So I split it, and I'll finish with the actual party.
> 
> This idea is just so... cute.
> 
> The title was... bad, so I changed it. I like this one better, I think.

* * *

“It's too much, isn't it?” Jake asked, sounding nervous. “I didn't really know your style or your favorite color—I figured this might pass because I've seen you in a few different shirts that were this shade. It does look good on you—I mean—it's... It's just a dress. If you don't like this one, we still have time to find another—”

“No,” Ellie said, finally forcing her eyes away from the single most gorgeous bit of fabric she'd ever seen in her life. She reached over to put her hand on his cheek. “It's perfect. Thank you. I didn't think—I wasn't expecting anything this nice. This... fancy. You didn't have to do this.”

Jake frowned. “I'm starting to think that you don't really know what you agreed to saying you'd go with me to this event.”

“It's a charity dinner, right? An expensive benefit dinner,” she said, not sure she cared more than that. She wasn't the most girly of girls, not when she grew up on a farm with three older brothers, but she had to admit, that was one dress she really wanted to wear. “It'll be fine.”

“It's not that I don't think you can handle it, but it is a lot more than the five minutes that—”

Ellie put a finger to his lips. While it was true she'd only asked Jake for five minutes of pretend marriage, a quick introduction before they left, that had turned into hours as the storm stranded them at the airport with Tony _and_ a murderer. Jake had kept up the act the entire time, never faltering, and it was beyond amazing that he had. She owed him a lot more than a dinner. She still got the better end of the deal.

“I am doing this for you,” she insisted. “Unless there is something else that you need.”

Jake shook his head, taking her hand down from his face. She winced, knowing she was a little red. Their friendship wasn't that physical before, mostly just her crazy ideas and his legal skill trying to stop them from being true.

“Oh, if if it isn't the lovebirds,” Tony said as he and McGee came up to their desks. “To what do we owe another visit from the elusive Jake Malloy?”

Ellie figured she could handle this one, no need asking Jake to pretend for her again. “Jake bought me a dress.”

“A dress?” Tony asked, going over to examine the box himself. “Wow. You're not kidding, Bishop. That is a dress.”

“You should probably show it to Abby. She'll love that you're going to wear it,” McGee said. “Wait, what is the occasion?”

“A charity function my family hosts each year,” Jake said. “Very boring. Very tedious. At least this time I should have company.”

Ellie smiled. “Of course you will.”

“Unless we get a case,” Tony said, and Ellie grimaced. She knew that they didn't keep normal hours here, but she had to do this. She had to uphold her part of the bargain—Jake had more than come through on his.

“Ask Gibbs in advance. I'm sure he'll let you have the time off,” McGee said, and the two of them exchanged a look that had Ellie wincing again.

She put her hand on Jake's arm. “I swear I will do everything I can to make sure I'm there.”

“I know,” he said, cupping her cheek, and she felt guilt wash over her, completely drenching her, not that she didn't deserve it. She was lying to good people—friends and family—and she was using a very kind man to do it. None of this was right, and she had to come clean about it, all of it.

“Grab your gear,” Gibbs ordered. “Dead marine in Falls Church.”

* * *

“Jake is going to hate me,” Ellie said, looking at the time. She knew that it couldn't be helped, not when there was a murderer out there, but she had thought that she could make it work somehow, that she could find a way to get enough time, but Jake was supposed to pick her up in half-an-hour. She wasn't dressed, she had missed her appointment with the hairdresser, and she couldn't see how she was going to transform herself from the probie that had gone through the trash to anything close to a suitable companion for a charity dinner.

“He won't hate you,” Abby assured her. “He loves you.”

Ellie tried not to react to that. He didn't, they weren't really married, and while she knew Jake liked her as a friend, this was closer to a business deal than a relationship. “I promised, and I broke that promise.”

“Not yet you haven't,” Abby said. “The dress box is still here in my office, safe and sound like I said it would be—”

“I haven't gotten my hair done, I must smell awful—”

“I'll do your hair,” Abby offered, and Ellie smiled at her. That was so sweet, too. She hated lying to her about this. If she told anyone, it had to be Abby. “So go get cleaned up a little, and we'll make this work.”

Ellie nodded. She wanted to do more than she knew she could in the little time she had left, but she knew she couldn't get everything perfect anyway. As long as she didn't smell, looked decent, and tried, maybe that would be enough. She still felt like it wasn't a good exchange for what Jake had already done for her.

“You can even borrow some of my homemade perfumes if you want,” Abby offered, and Ellie smiled back at her. That wasn't exactly the solution she'd hoped for, but she was glad Abby was willing to help her make it work. “Trust me—you're going to look great.”

“It's not about how I look, Abby,” Ellie said. “I just don't want to disappoint Jake.”

“You won't.”

* * *

“Wow. Look at you, Malloy. All dressed up and looking sharp,” Tony said, and Jake forced a smile. He knew that was actually a compliment, but he hadn't really wanted to come to NCIS, not with everyone still under the impression that he was Ellie's husband. That made things rather awkward. He did like her coworkers, but he knew that her ruse couldn't last forever. He didn't know how it would end when it did, but it couldn't be pleasant no matter what.

“Um...”

“So this charity that your family is involved with has some high class benefactors, huh?” Tony asked, coming over to him and picking up his scarf. “That is a nice tux. My father would be jealous. He taught me to appreciate the talents of a good tailor, and I can see you have one as well.”

Jake grimaced. He didn't like discussing his family's money. He never had. He'd rather forget that it even existed. “There is a level expected of anyone who attends these functions. I know better than to not meet it.”

“Of course. Just saying... You'd give Dapper Dan a run for his money.”

Jake sighed. “Tony, you're a little obvious about how much you want to ask about mine.”

Tony smiled. “Well, since you noticed, just how much money do you have?”

Jake tried to find a proper response to that, but he hadn't managed it when the elevator doors at the other end of the room dinged. They both looked over in time to see Abby come out. She clapped her hands together in excitement.

“You're here,” Abby said. “This is perfect. You have to see this.”

“See what?” Tony asked, but then he whistled as Ellie stepped out of the elevator. Jake swallowed. He hadn't expected that dress to fit her as well as it did, or to flatter her so nicely. He didn't know the first thing about women's fashion, and he had pretty much figured that she'd use whatever he got as something to trade for a dress she really liked. Somehow, though, picking the right color and hoping for the best had actually worked.

Though... it was Ellie, and Jake did think she'd look beautiful no matter what she wore, as he'd seen in the past. She tended toward more casual outfits than many of the other analysts, but somehow that suited her.

Not, of course, that Jake was looking or trying to, since they were only colleagues.

“Mission accomplished,” Tony said, clapping Jake on the back and almost knocking him over. “You made him speechless, Bish.”

Ellie blushed, looking down at the dress. “I was feeling a little... overdressed, actually.”

“Nope,” Abby said. “You look amazing, and I'm not just saying that because I helped with the hair. You look good. And since Jake is rocking a very nice, very expensive tux, you are not overdressed.”

Jake knew he had to say something. It was more than expected of him in this situation. He just found words very difficult at the moment, afraid of saying the wrong thing for so many reasons. “Abby's right. You look... incredible.”

“Thank you,” Ellie said, smiling a little.

“You two have fun now,” Tony said, crossing over to join Abby. “Don't do anything we wouldn't do at that party.”

Abby laughed, playfully swatting his arm. Jake held out a hand to Ellie, hoping he didn't seem as nervous as he felt.

“Shall we?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Ellie at the actual party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I started to think this part would just go on forever because it didn't seem to have a good place to end. Jake and Ellie could have gone on forever. That would be nice. This isn't really the story for that, but this universe still has such potential. I love that about it.

* * *

“You don't have to do this,” Jake said, and Ellie looked over at him. She tried not to grimace. He'd caught her fidgeting again, and she wished she hadn't betrayed herself so badly. She didn't know if it was the dress or the limousine, but she couldn't sit still. “Really, Ellie, if this is making you uncomfortable, you don't have to.”

Ellie found herself twisting her fingers in the skirt of her dress. She made herself stop, smoothing it out and wiping her hands off. “Sorry. I'm not... I'm nervous. This is... fancier than I'm used to. A lot fancier.”

“Which is why I'm telling you that you don't have to come,” Jake said. He reached across the seat to take her hand. “I know you think you have to because I did go to NCIS for you, but you don't. I can go in by myself.”

Ellie was tempted to take him up on that offer. That would have been almost easy to do, since she was sure she would trip on her skirt or make some other mistake and embarrass both of them. Still, she _owed_ Jake. She had to do something for him, or it wasn't right.

“Did I tell you what my junior prom was like?”

“I thought you said you didn't go to prom,” Jake said, frowning. “Though... as I recall, homecoming was a disaster because of your brothers.”

Ellie nodded. Jake was right on both counts. She hadn't gone to prom. No one had been willing to ask her after what her brothers did, and her plans to go with her friends had fallen through when they both got dates. “I've never really done a successful party like this. I'm a little nervous, that's all.”

He gave her a small smile. “I was terrified going into NCIS.”

“And you were perfect,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. He had been, and now it was her turn. She just wished that she could be half as good as he had been.

“Ellie, all I wanted was someone to talk to, someone I knew,” Jake said. “You don't have to do anything else. Still, if you don't want to come, just say so. It's fine. The driver can take you back home after he drops me off.”

“No, it's fine,” Ellie said, smiling at him. “I want to do this.”

* * *

Jake looked around, frowning. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to get separated from Ellie so quickly, but he kept getting caught in conversation after conversation, one mind-numbingly boring person after another. He shouldn't say that, these were important, influential people who were going to make large donations to the foundation. That was why they were here. His family got them out to lure out the tax write-offs, and it worked. Every year. People looked magnanimous, like great philanthropists, but they weren't anything special.

He hated this, hated the hypocrisy, but he knew that wasn't going to change.

He sighed. Maybe Ellie was already gone. He shouldn't have asked her to do this, not when he knew what it was usually like. He should have known that he'd get dragged off, and so much for company. He hadn't even managed to be that himself.

“You look lost, but then you always do at this sort of thing.”

Jake forced a smile. “Nice to know I'm that obvious.”

“Only to those who know you,” his brother said. “Which explains why they still expect you to do this after all these years.”

Jake nodded. Jonathon wasn't wrong. His parents didn't know him, hadn't in years, and they'd never bothered to try. “You're the surprising one, though. You're actually sober for a change.”

“Ah, well, I'd say I finally learned how to cope with the greed of our society without copious amounts of alcohol, but that would be lying,” Jonathon said, lifting his glass. “I was three hours late. I've got a lot of missed time to make up for.”

Jake rolled his eyes. “You're impossible.”

“Which is why you love me,” his brother said, grinning before taking a drink. “You want one? You'd be a lot less miserable if you did.”

Jake shook his head. He'd tried his brother's method before, and all he'd found was more misery. He could do without that and the hangover. “I'm good, thanks.”

“I'm sure you are.”

“Excuse me?”

Jonathon laughed. “Don't play innocent with me. I know you better than that. I also know you came with someone. A very attractive someone. Belle of the ball someone.”

Jake winced. “Please tell me you did not hit on her.”

“No, but Dad might have.”

Jake groaned, putting a hand to his head. He didn't believe this. He had to go find Ellie and apologize before anything else happened.

* * *

Ellie sipped from her champagne, watching the room. None of this was like she'd expected. She had thought that she was going to simple charity dinner. She hadn't understood that it was really a ball. It was not just a thousand dollar plate dinner. That would have been simple in comparison, and she would have been done already.

She would still have been with Jake, since they wouldn't have gotten separated if they were sitting down for the meal—and she had stuck with him for that, but as soon as the food was gone, he'd been called over to talk to someone else. She'd lost track of him in the crowd, and she was not only disappointed because she was failing in her purpose, but because she should be able to spot him. She was supposed to be a trained investigator. She should be able to see him, even in a ballroom this crowded.

“Please tell me my father did not hit on you.”

Ellie turned around, spilling her drink as she did. She almost threw the glass away, tempted to hug him even though she and Jake were not friends like that. They were different. “Jake. There you are. I have been trying to find you ever since dinner.”

He nodded. “Same here. I wouldn't have thought I'd lose you in that dress—not that I chose it because it was a beacon or because it looks bad or is the wrong color or—I mean, the dress is beautiful. You're beautiful. It looks—I—this still isn't working.”

She shook her head. “It's fine. I know what you meant. Not that... well, you don't have an attention getting suit, and there are a lot of guys in tuxes—and now I'm doing it. I'm sorry.”

“As long as my dad didn't actually hit on you, I think we'll be fine.”

Ellie frowned. “I—which one is your father? Does he look a lot like you, because I don't remember anyone who looked like you. There was a couple of guys who asked if I was here alone, but it didn't go further than that when I said I wasn't.”

Jake grimaced. “I am so sorry. I never should have had you do this.”

“I did kind of fail on the company thing since I managed to lose you for half the night.”

“That's not what I meant. You didn't need this. You wear a ring because you don't want all that attention.”

“Yes, and I really see now why you always wore one,” Ellie told him. In a group like this, she wouldn't be surprised if he felt like every woman here was only interested in the money his family had to have, even if she had money of her own.

He sighed. “This was a terrible idea.”

“Dinner wasn't that bad,” she reminded him, touching his arm and giving him a smile. “And this isn't, either. I'm glad you found me again.”

“So am I,” he said, and she moved her arm around his, leaning against him. “Ellie—”

“I am such a lousy date,” she muttered. “I didn't stick with you, didn't give you the company you wanted, and I just know that I'm going to ruin this dress you bought me.”

“It looks fine, and I don't—you're fine,” Jake said. “It can't be worse than me trying to help you with a murder investigation.”

“You were great,” she insisted. “You really were.”

He gave her a small smile, going quiet. She hoped that wasn't a bad thing, since no matter what he said, she had been a bad date. She should have tried harder to find him. That, or she should have never left his side in the first place.

“Ellie?”

“Hmm?” Was he going to ask her to let go? That was going to be awkward, but she should anyway, so if she just pulled away, it would be fine.

“I... I never do this, but... do you want to dance?”

“What?”

“Never mind. It's a dumb idea. I just thought that... well, considering what your homecoming was like and how you never got to dance because of your brothers and the punch bowl... Just forget it. We don't have to—”

“I want to,” Ellie said. “I just... I didn't think you'd want to.”

“I... I shouldn't. I'm terrible, but if they do a slow song, I will do my best not to step on your toes,” he said. “So... now that you've heard that... the answer is no, right?”

She shook her head. “Jake, I would love to dance with you.”

* * *

“Relax,” Ellie said, and Jake felt himself tense up again. “Really. You need to relax. You haven't stepped on my foot yet. We're fine. We already survived three songs.”

Jake frowned. He hadn't realized that the music had changed. He'd been too focused on trying to make sure that he didn't hurt her. He didn't think they were doing more than the worst of awkward shuffles across the floor, but she didn't seem to mind.

“I can't believe you suffered through more than one dance with me,” he muttered, shaking his head. “I think maybe you deserve hazard pay.”

She shook her head. “You did so much more than I did, and I don't need hazard pay. You bought me a dress... and this was actually... nice.”

“Such high praise.”

“No, I really owe you another charity event or something,” Ellie told him. “You were wonderful for me, and I let you down.”

“You don't have to feel obligated. That's not at all what I want,” Jake told her, though he was gripped with a sudden fear of her asking him what he _did_ want. He couldn't answer that. He was confused, conflicted by the way he felt right now.

“Still... this was supposed to be about you, and here you go, giving me something I never had—a slow dance at a big party,” Ellie said. “I should really make this up to you. Not because I'm obligated, but because... because I want to do something for you.”

Jake shook his head. “You don't have to.”

“I _want_ to,” she said, stopping them in the middle of the dance. She put her hands on his face and looked into his eyes. “Let me do something for you, Jake. Please.”

“You already have,” he assured her, knowing that taking her up on that was dangerous, something he couldn't do, not if he ever wanted to untangle his life from hers, “and I don't need anything else.”


End file.
